The Scarlet letter (1995)
Starring Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, Robert Duvall
BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!!!
The letter is A, it stands for adultery/adulteress. It’s the 1660s and Demi Moore gets branded. Why? Oh,right- the story…
She is married to Robert Duvall’s character, who is a physician and a weird man who has sent his wife to one of the new colonies so that she could set a home before he arrives. Weird, right? In a time where women are hardly ever considered capable or to have the right to the anything without their husbands- she arrives alone. Her modern& forthright attitude is not very welcome. Even weirder, the narrator of the movie is Demi Moore (Hester)’s daughter- who will be born later- and keeps referring to Duvall’s character as Hester’s husband…
Then as Hester settles and proves herself capable of living as she likes despite others’ opinions, she meets a beautiful man by the name of Arthur (Gary Oldman).
Oh yes, with his costume of the era, long hair, beard and lovely& cute attitude, Gary Oldman is a beautiful man.They both share a passion for reading. His personality? Just as perfect. He is a priest, very modern and visionary, friendly with Indians,a pacifist and a romantic at heart. He is disappointed to find out that Hester is married. Still, their encounters continue and they realize they have not only respect & admiration for one another but a strong attraction, and deep feelings. Arthur is the one who practices self-control after he confesses his love. After all, he is a priest in love with a married woman and in 1660s, they could be “hanged for this”. So they avoid each other for a while. Then they receive news that her husband was killed in an Indians attack. When Arthur visits Hester’s home to give her the news, she is not exactly grief-stricken. She is anxious to know when it will be publicly acceptable for them to be seen together in public.
But people are bigots mostly and they live by strange rules they have set. Arthur very sadly announces that they have to wait for 7 years. Demi Moore is so disappointed with the news. But it takes them just a few seconds to engage into a passionate kiss- and then later on, into a great love-making.
I was so glad that they didn’t try to wait for such a ridiculous period of time. After all, there are very few things that are as natural and beautiful than two people- madly in love with each other-having sex. But of course it is not what the society thinks. And to make matters more complicated, Demi Moore gets pregnant. When people find out, they send her to jail. There aren’t exactly laws for this, but then they feel like they should punish a woman who bears a child who is not from her husband. Arthur is shocked and upset that she is treated like that so he wants to confess. But if he does confess, they will let her go but hang him.So there is no way Hester is going to risk his life. She forbids him to talk… So she gives birth in jail and Arthur can only see the child as the “Reverend”. The fact that her husband has survived makes everything even worse. He is determined to make her life hell- he accuses her and her friends of witchcraft. He also finds out Arthur is the father…
So Hester refuses to let go of her principles, to endanger Arthur… She gets branded with A, so the whole town is against her, apart from her friends whose lives are in danger…Arthur is torn between doing what’s right, what’s right for Hester…
And eventually when the town decided to hang Hester and the other women, Arthur just takes his stand, and tells them all..That he is the father of the child.That he loves her. That he is her husband in god’s eyes. He proposes they hang him instead. But when you think this might be another tragic ending, the Indians come to rescue…
It is just such a perfect, amazing love story. You root for the characters from the start. They are so humane, lovely, passionate and idealistic. Their love is real and knows no limits. I love every scene and moment from this film.
If your husband is a jerk, and you have married him against your will and meet such a great guy, it can’t be called adultery. It is just the kind of love a lot of us seek and yet seem to find only in movies…
Buy The Scarlet Letter on amazon.com
Related Posts:
When Adultery is OK, Part 1: Revenge starring Kevin Costner & Madeleine Stowe
When Adultery is OK, Part 2: The English Patient starring Ralph F?nnes & Kristin Scott Thomas
Easy A starring Emma Stone (full of Scarlet Letter references)
I enjoyed this movie and the roller coaster emotions it puts you through. I think Robert Duvall did an excellent job at being the awful husband. I’m not a fan of Demi Moore but it seemed like a good role for her, the rebel from long ago. I liked the ending and am glad it worked out the way that it did.
I love this movie. Such a modern period piece. I love both Hester’s and Arthur’s characters and Duvall really makes the audience hate him so easily…As I say in the title, who can blame Hester for falling for Arthur? It was just a delight see Gary in a purely good role for once:)
The ending is great, but I wish something was a little different;)
This is one of my favourite movies… I don’t like Gary Oldman, though I love his character and, for me, he was simply perfect as Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale !! I have to agree with you: he was extremely interesting and sexy !!!
It was also Demi Moore’s best interpretation !! I read the book, and I have to say that it’s not as good as the film…
Great article, Pinar. Well done :):)
Oh my God! I thought I had already replied to this one. We cover so much commenting both on facebook and here and sometimes I get lost. Sorry about that:)
I agree that sometimes a movie is simply much better. I guess it does have something to do with the order – either reading the book or watching the movie first but the same thing happened to me with Nicole Kidman’s Cold Mountain. I adored the movie, and tried reading the book and I hated it!
Gary Oldman has my total respect and admiration in the sense that he changes so much from role to role, even Robert De Niro can’t compete with this. I can’t think of any other Arthur that would be more handsome, desirable, romantic and simply adorable. One of the best male romantic characters ever captured on film- which is a theme I should write about soon;)